Gun Owners Must be Held Responsible for Negligent Injuries and Fatalities

EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP, Pa., Dec. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Pennsylvania Chapter is shocked and devastated to learn of the death of a two-month-old Lancaster County girl who was shot and killed by a family member who was negligently handling a handgun on Christmas Eve. No charges have yet been filed against the adult who shot and killed an infant.

Moms Demand Action is urging District Attorney Craig Stedman and local authorities to press charges immediately in this case. Mothers across the country are heartbroken about the loss of yet another child to preventable gun violence, and we expect an adult to be held accountable for such a negligent act.

Moms Demand Action is also calling on the Pennsylvania legislature to propose and pass laws that holds adults accountable if their negligence results in the shooting of a child. For too long, the gun lobby has protected gun owners from being liable for gun-related deaths, including negligent shootings.

In addition, we call on media reporting on this incident to use the words "criminally negligent" instead of "accidental." Shooting and killing a human being due to an unsecured firearm should and must be considered more severe than an "accident."

About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in AmericaMuch like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to change laws regarding drunk driving, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was created to build support for common-sense gun reforms. The nonpartisan grassroots movement of American mothers is demanding new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. In just one year, the organization has more than 130,000 members with a chapter in every state in the country. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter @MomsDemand